I was there! (I walked in 1988.) Here's the thread from my introduction to this group, which includes some of my observations of being on the Camino in the (relatively) early years:
pilgrim-introductions/topic5489.html?sd=d
Detailed much better by Jack Hitt in his book, Off The Road, and later shown in a lengthy scene in The Way, I can tell you that spending the night in Ramon Sostres' "refugio" in Torres Del Rio was a very strange experience. (His was the ramshackle house with no front door, no furniture, no...
My first day was a study in contrasts. I had just finished two months of train travel/touring around Europe, so my pack was quite heavy, and I timed the end of that trip to land in Pamplona for the week of San Fermines (The Running of the Bulls) madness, where I slept in the park most nights and...
I was biking to work this morning when I passed a horse field and the pleasant smell of manure brought me right back to the Camino in my mind. Fresh manure is the primary smell I still associate with the Camino- do you have a smell that triggers your mind's return to the Camino?
The meseta is not scenic in the "purple mountains majesty" kind of way but it is very alluring in a subtle and zen way. What's the old saying?: "Music is not just the notes but also the space between the notes." Think of the meseta as a wonderful space between notes. I highly recommend it.
This was 25 years ago but I started my Camino in Pamplona in July, after one week of partaking in San Fermines madness- it definitely gave me a yin and yang experience in Northern Spain. :lol:
I haven't seen this particular video posted on this board yet. Much of the footage is from a camera mounted on a mini-helicopter (the videographer calls it an oktocopter). I can't believe they were allowed to fly it inside. It's been highly edited and the music is a bit much, but I think it's...
Thanks, all, for the responses.
@JW- are you serious about the silent, through-the-bars-meal? :)
@Finisterre- I think you mean sarcasm. Irony would be if a brother at the monastery needed medical help immediately overnight, but suffered because the female peregrina (who happened to be an...
On another thread, it was mentioned that the monastery at Santo Domingo de Silos only hosts men overnight. Is this true? And are there other refugios/albergues that bar a stay based on sex? Just curious. :?:
As to the question of where to take a break, I'm also of the opinion that you should feel it out and "let the Camino decide." I also scheduled in a few break days along the walk, but, when break day came up, my body wanted to keep putting kilometers behind me. You'll get into a daily rhythm...
He wrote:
"Thanks for creating and posting this wonderful documentary- it rekindled a number of memories for me. I especially appreciate the balance you struck between the oft-told pilgrim stories of yore (the nasty Navarrans at the bridge over the Rio Salado, e.g.) and the new ones being...
From Indiewire (online):
Finally, two of the most impressive and somewhat unexpected success stories of the fall continued well on their way:
Emilio Estevez's “The Way,” starring his father Martin Sheen, crossed the $3 million mark as it screened in 137 theaters this weekend via a unique...
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